Typographical casting machine



Dec. 22, 1953 w. B. ABBOTT TYPOGRAPHICAL CASTING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 25. 195Q INVENTOR, mm 77% BY I I I Dec. 22, 1953 w. B. ABBOTT TYPOGRAPHICAL CASTING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 25, 1950 m w m m 2,1953 w. B. ABBOTT TYPOGRAPHICAL CASTING MACHINE Filed July 25, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 22 I /9 2a 3a; HIIIMIIHIHHHIH WM? JF WZ ar g ATTORN K6 Patented Dec. 22, 1953 William B. Abbott, Springfietd 2,, 3... Sign? to 'senthaler Linotype n3;

corporation of New York Application my 25, issdsferiai No. item 14, Claims.-

This invention relates to typographical casting machines, such as Linotype machines of the gen eral organization represented in Letters Patent of the United States, No. 436,532, wherein a coinposed line of matrices is presented to the face of a mold carried by a rotatable disk, the mold filled with molten metal to form a type bar or slug against the matrices; and the slug thereafter ejected from the mold and trimmed.

Heretofore, the rotative motion has been innparted to the mold disk through an arrangement of gears driven by a large mold turning wheel (often referred to as a cam). The mold turning wheel carries on its circumference a short and a long gear segment adapted to mesh with and rotate a bevel pinion, the short segment serving to rotate the mold disk through a one qua'rter turn from the slug ejecting to the slug casting position, and the long segment serving to rotate the disk through a three-quarter turn from the slug casting to the slug ejecting position. While, in general, this arrangement for intermittently rotating the mold disk between slug casting and ejecting positions has proven satisfactory it is, nevertheless, open to several objections. For one thing, considerable impact results when the gear segments initially come into contact with the driven bevel pinion, subjecting the parts to severe wear and strain even to the extent of breakage at high speeds. ments run out of engagement with the driven bevel pinion, the mold disk has been free to rotate until stopped either by the action of a friction brake or by a Geneva stop motion device which causes additional impact and vibration, particu larly at high speeds.

The present invention eliminates these and other objectionable features by providing improved driving means for the mold disk. In accordance with the invention, the entire rotative motion of the mold disk is supplied by a single re ciprocating gear segment which on the downstroke serves to rotate the mold disk through its one-quarter turn, and on the upstroke through its three-quarter turn. Since the driving gear segment is always in mesh with the driven bevel pinion and is always positively cam-controlled, the driving action is smooth and free from objec tionable impact.

The present invention will allow operation of the machine at higher speeds, increase the span of life of the operating parts, reduce vibration, and result in less noisy operation. 7

Other improvements will be describedin the detailed description following.

Furthermore, after the gear seg= m the accbm drawin s, the invention is shown merely in inis'i'eired' form and by way of example, and-obviously many changes and variatibns be made withinflits spirit. It is to be understood, therefore; that the invention is not limited teeny semester former embodiment except insofar as seen limitations are specified in theclaims;

Referring to the drawings: 7

Fig. 1 is a side elevation at a portion of a Li-notype madhineequipped with the present invention, and showing parts-in one position;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the driving mechaas'shownmFig. 3,-

Fig. 3 is aside elevation similar to Fig. l, but showing the parts ma d'ifle'rent position;

Fig. 3 is a section view" taken along the line ii '3 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the moi-ddisk located and locked in one of its advanced positions: 1

Fig. 5- is a norm view or themold disk showing the operative mold in ejecting position and aligned with respect tothe" trimming knives; and

Fig; 6 isa perspective view of one of the molds, showing its locking stud and the cooperating banking block on the vise frame.

The rotatable mold disk I is provided with a plurality of molds 2 (four as in the example shown in Fig. 5), and isactuated in the usual manner by a driving pinion 3 meshing with the peripheral tooth portion 3? of the disk. The pinion 3 is detachably connected to a long drive shaft 5 so that it can be disconnected by the knob 4 and rotated by hand (when the machine is at rest) to" bring any selected one of the molds 2 into use. I

When a composed line of matrices has been transported to casting position, the mold disk 1 is given a one-quarter turn and then moved bodily forward to bring the active mold 2 against the face of the matrices, the mold disk being accurately positioned by locking studs 6 (see Figs. 5 and 6) which enter into banking blocks 1 on the vise frame 8. After the casting operation, the mold disk I is withdrawn from the face of the matrices and given a three-quarter turn, after which it is again moved bodily forward and ac curately positioned by the locking studs 6 in ejecting position. At this point, the slug is forced out of the mold between a pair of trimming knives 9 (see Fig. 5). The mold disk I is finally moved bodily rearward to withdraw the locking studs from the banking blocks and remains at rest to await the beginning of the next cycle of operations.

As thus far described, the parts and their manner of operation are the same as in the commercial Linotype machines.

The present invention, as before stated, is directed primarily to improved mechanism for rotating the mold disk I. As usual, the power for rotating the disk is supplied from the rotatable motor driven main cam shaft I0, supported in part by the machine frame A, the cams assem bled thereon controlling most ofthe mechanical actions of the machine. A mold turning cam I I,

which has been substituted for the ordinary gear,

wheel, is mounted on the shaft I0, being provided with a groove I2 serving to impart a controlled cam action to the gear mechanism. Pivotally mounted on the supporting frame A, byr'neans of a stub shaft I3, is a reciprocable rocker arm I4 carrying near its free end an arcuate gear segment I5 which is in constanet mesh with a pinion I6. The arm I4 also carries a cam follower I! which rides in the groove I2, imparting a downward or clockwise rotation to the segment I5 when acted upon by the inner groove wall I2, and an upward or counterclockwise rotation thereto when acted upon by the outer groove wall I2 The driven pinion I6 is situated at one end of a short shaft I8 and a gear I9, preferably of double width as shown in the drawings, is situated at the other end thereof. The wide gear I9 is in constant mesh with a smaller pinion 20, preferably in a 3 to 1 ratio. The pinion 23 is situated at one end of another short shaft 2|, which is provided at its opposite end with a spur gear 22, preferably in a 3 to 1 ratio with said pinion 28.

As best shown in Figs. 1 and 3, a spur gear 23 is keyed to the long drive shaft 5 so as to be shiftable thereon into engagement with either the wide gear I9 or the gear 22. Preferably, and as shown in the present embodiment, the shiftable gear 23 is in a 1 to 1 ratio with the gears 13 and 22, so that a single revolution of either of the latter will effect a single revolution of the gear 23.

The shifting of the gear 23 is effected by means of a long rod 24, slidably supported in th frame A, carrying thereon a forked or bifurcated member 25 adapted to fit within a suitable grooved collar 25 attached to the rear face of the gear 23 (see Fig. 3 The rearmost extremity of the rod 2!!- is connected to a crossbar 28, disposed more or less at right angles to the rod 24, by means of an arm 21. The crossbar 28 carries a cam follower 29 which, like the cam follower I'I, rides in the groove I2, shifting the gear 23 forwardly along the keyway of the shaft 5 into engagement with the driving gear I9 when acted upon by the inner groove wall I2, and rearwardly into engagement with the driving gear 22 when acted upon by the outer groove wall I2 As shown in the drawings, the frame A is provided with a slot 30 to guide and support the crossbar 28.

The operation of the parts will now be clear. The mold turning cam II makes one complete rotation for each machine cycle, turning forwardly, or in the direction of the arrows in Figs. 1 and 3. When the machine is at rest, the parts will occupy the position shown in Fig. 1, with the shiftable gear 23 in mesh with the wide gear I3 and the rocker arm I4 in its raised position. Shortly after the cam starts its rotation, the cam follower I! will be acted upon by the inner groove wall I2! and impart a downward movement to the arm I4, causing the gear segment I5, through the set of gears I6, I9, 23 and 3, to rotate the mold disk through a one-quarter turn to carry the active mold from ejecting to casting position. The parts, except for the cam I I, then come to rest momentarily until the casting operation has been completed, the two cam followers travelling in concentric portions of the cam groove i2. Thereafter, as the cam II continues its rotation, and while the gears are still at rest, the cam follower 29 will be acted upon by the outer groove wall I2 and shift the gear 23 out of engagement with the wide gear I9 and into engagement with the gear 22, this gear shifting action being preparatory to the next actuation of the rocker arm Id, which is now in its lower position (see Figs. 2 and 3). Thereafter, by the continued rotation of the cam II, the cam follower I'I comes under control of w the outer groove wall I2 and imparts an upward movement to the arm It, causing the gear se ment I5, through the set of gears It, It, 23, 22, 23 and 3, to rotate the mold disk through a threequarter turn to carry the active mold from easting back to ejecting position (its starting position). Again the parts, except for the cam ii, come to rest, the two cam followers again travelling in concentric portions of the cam groove it. Before the cam I I completes its rotation, the cam follower 29 will be restored by the inner groove wall I2 to its original position and shift the gear 23 out of engagement with the gear 22 and back into engagement with the wide gear 59, to await the beginning of the next cycle of operations.

It should be apparent from the foregoing description that the mold disk I is at all times rotated in a counterclockwise direction even though the driving segment travels alternately in upward and downward directions and rotates the driven pinion H5 in opposite directions. Each time, however, the shiftable gear 23 brings a different set of gears into operative connection with the mold disk I, so that at one time the mold'disk I is given a one-quarter turn, while the next time it is given a three-quarter turn.

Since the gears when operated are always in mesh and since their operation is always under positive cam control, the rotation of the mold disk takes place smoothly and quietly, with the minimum of stress and strain on the parts. Due to the gradual slope of the cam surfaces, the acceleration and deceleration of the mold disk are also gradual, eliminating the violent impact characteristic of the old arrangement, in which the gear segments run into and out of engagement with the driven pinion while travelling at full speed. It will be noted that the slope of the outer groove wall I2 which controls the three-quarter rotation of the mold disk is quite gradual, thus compensating for the higher speed ratio of the second gear set brought into action. The concentric portions of the cam groove locate and maintain th mold disk in its different rctative positions, ensuring proper alignment of the locking studs 6 with the banking blocks '5 without the use of the usual Geneva stop motion device.

In its broader aspects, the invention does not require the use of two gear sets in operating the mold disk, these two sets being provided to take care of the conventional method of rotating the disk, first for a one-quarter turn and then for a three-quarter turn.

What is claimed is:

1. In a typographical casting machine, the combination of a mold disk rotatable periodically from one to another position of rest during each machine cycle, and driving mechanism for rotating the mold disk, said driving mechanism comprising an oscillatory driving member operated periodically in accordance with the periodic rotations of the mold disk, and means operated by said driving member at one stroke for imparting a one-quarter rotation to the mold disk from one position of rest and at the following stroke for imparting a three-quarter rotation to the mold disk in the same direction from another position of rest.

2. In a typographical casting machine, the combination of a mold disk rotatable periodically from one to another position of rest during each machine cycle, driving mechanism for rotating the mold disk in one given direction through two different trains of connections from different positions of rest, and automatic means for shifting from one train of connections to the other during each machine cycle and when the mold disk is at rest.

3. A combination as set forth in claim 2, characterized in that the mold disk is given a onequarter turn by one train of connections and the remaining three-quarter turn by the other train of connections.

4. A combination as set forth in claim 2, characterized in that the driving mechanism and the automatic shifting means are cam controlled.

5. A combination as set forth in claim 2, characterized in that the driving mechanism and the automatic shifting means are controlled from a cam common to both.

6. In a typographical casting machine, the combination of a mold disk rotatable periodically from one to another position of rest during each machine cycle, an oscillatory driving gear segment operated periodically in accordance with the periodic rotations of the mold disk, and two driven gear sets between the driving segment and the mold disk for rotating the latter in the same direction at each stroke of the driving segment, one gear set being operative from one position of rest of the mold disk and the other gear set being operative from a different position of rest of the mold disk.

'7. A combination as set forth in claim 6 characterized by the fact that the driving segment is operated by a cam which makes one complete rotation in each machine cycle.

8. In a typographical casting machine, the combination of a mold disk rotatable periodically from one to another position of rest during each machine cycle, a rotatable cam periodically in accordance with the periodic rotations of the mold disk, an oscillatory driving gear segment operated by the cam, and two gear sets driven by the gear segment and controlled by said cam for imparting the same direction of rotation to the rotatable disk throughout the entire reciprocation of the driving segment one gear set being operative from one position of rest of the mold disk and the other gear set being operative from a difierent position of rest of the mold disk.

9. In a typographical casting machine, the combination of a mold disk rotatable periodically from one to another position of rest during each machine cycle, a rotatable cam, alternate power transmitting means for rotating the mold disk,

and means controlled by said cam to shift alternately from one to the other of said power transmitting means, said shifting means being operative while the mold disk is at rest.

10. In a typographical casting machine, the combination of a mold disk rotatable periodically from one to another position of rest during each machine cycle, a pivoted driving member operated periodically in accordance with the periodic rotations of the mold disk, alternate power transmitting means between said driving member and said mold disk, cam controlled means for pivoting the driving member in one direction to efiect a partial rotation of the mold disk and for pivoting the driving member in the opposite direction to complete the rotation of the mold disk, and camcontrolled means for alternating the operative power transmitting means.

11. A combination as set forth in claim 10 characterized by the fact that the cam-controlled means therein described are controlled from a single rotatable cam.

12. In a typographical casting machine, the combination of a rotatable disk carrying a plurality of molds in which the type bars are cast, said disk and molds constituting a heavy mass which is moved from one to another position of rest during each machine cycle, first by a onequarter turn of the mold disk to carry the mold in use from a slug ejecting position to a slug casting position and then by a three-quarter turn of the mold disk in the same direction to carry said mold back to slug ejecting position, and driving mechanism for imparting such periodic rotations to the heavy mass, said mechanism comprising a 7 gear set connected to the mold disk, and camcontrolled means for operating said gear set with a gradual accelerating and with a gradual decelerating motion from and to each position of rest.

13. A combination as set forth in claim 12, wherein the gear set comprises a driven member and a driving member in constant mesh with each other.

14. A combination as set forth in claim 12, wherein said gear set comprises an oscillatory driving member and a rotatable driven member in constant mesh with each other, and wherein the cam-controlled means is connected to the oscillatory member and operates it first in one direction for the one-quarter turn of the mold disk and then in the opposite direction for the three-garter turn of the mold disk.

WILLIAM B. ABBOTT.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Switzerland Mar. 1, 1947 

